Hens are ready for their permanent house and we are behind schedule.

[21hens-incharge]

Quote:

For the love of Jimminy Christmas! You are in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA!!!!

K seriously that IS funny. Made ME laugh.

 

[3baymares]

I have started nervously letting them out of the basement for an hour before the sun sets each night to start acclimating them to the sounds, humidity and hotter temperatures of outside. Our basement is so cool and has a dehumidifier keeping it dryer.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I think you can place them in the coop. They are certainly old enough and with the shade should do just fine. They may pant and lay about in the dirt in holes they dig but that is how chickens do summer.

(I have raised chicks in the BARN on the ground in March.) Of course they had a heat lamp hung from a two chains secured individually so no fire thank goodness.

 

[Mutt Farm]

For the love of Jimminy Christmas! You are in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA!!!!

K seriously that IS funny. Made ME laugh.

Now I'm cracking up at you and your emogi! Thud! Hang on...still laughing... catch my breath... OK. Whew. It does drop to the frigid 30's here. So yours are ok at -20 or ZERO? Being serious for 3 more sentences, I actually would have been concerned that my girls were going to be too cold this winter. I blanket my horses below 40 and bring the dogs in. How and when do you know they need additional heat?

 

[21hens-incharge]

The thing with chickens is they shed their feathers in the fall and get a new fluffy coat for winter.
If you add heat you can actually induce frostbite.

Here are a few articles about winter and heat etc...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winter-coop-temperatures
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...led-look-at-the-question-of-supplemental-heat
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winter-chicken-keeping

They are well worth the read.
I added heat last winter when my elderly leghorn decided to hold off molting until NOVEMBER and we were hitting -16 overnight.
I was only ever able to get the temp up to 0 with 2 sealed oil space heaters running full blast. I have a lot of overhead ventilation and had not closed any of it off. My coop is largeish at 8x14 and there were only 19 birds in there.
I had my first case of frostbite on a hen EVER when I added heat. My nonmolting leghorn lost the tips of her comb and I am sure it was due to the added heat.
This was winter number 5 for them.
This winter I may have other issues since I have not yet reduced the flock from the current 43 chickens.

 

[Mutt Farm]

How interesting and informative! All 3 articles! Thank you for taking the time to explain and share your knowledge. I would have never known.

 

[21hens-incharge]

You are most welcome. BYC is here to help people understand and learn as well as have a good time doing it. Glad to have been able to share the info.

 

[3baymares]

I am sitting with the girls right so they can forage. It's amazing how attached you van become to them. A hawk just flew over screeching and they hustled in past me as i am sitting on the stoup. Very nice evening we are having.

 

[Mutt Farm]

I am sitting with the girls right so they can forage. It's amazing how attached you van become to them. A hawk just flew over screeching and they hustled in past me as i am sitting on the stoup. Very nice evening we are having.

I'm so happy for you! Sure enough, I never intended to love my chickens. I had no idea. Red Tail hawk circling around here right now, but the girls are in. In my area, they mostly look for rabbits. Instinct is so interesting if I can share a story. I try to let my youngsters (who by the way have absolutely no interest in providing me some eggs) out to roam for a couple hours each evening. I live very close to an Air base military base. I'm used to the low flys. Last night, a big plane flew over LOW while the girls were out. Those chickens saw the BIG bird and ran for cover in the coop! I was amazed.

 

[kjstanton]

Oh my goodness your chickens are spoiled. Can I live in that coop? Lol it is awesome